Bharat Bandh News: A mob in Bihar's Gopalganj attacked and tried to set a school bus on fire with children onboard during the Bharat Bandh call on Wednesday. The schoolchildren escaped a fatal incident as police and district administration intervened on time and averted any major law and order situation. The mob, armed with sticks, had gathered in the area as part of the Bharat Bandh called by Dalit and Adivasi groups against a recent Supreme Court order on reservation for scheduled castes and tribes.
Visuals from Gopalganj showed the yellow bus surrounded by a mob, while a man burned a tyre right under the vehicle. Several burning tyres were also seen scattered on the road, making it difficult for the bus to pass. An ambulance can also be seen stuck in the traffic jam caused by the mob violence.
Swarn Prabhat, Gopalganj superintendent of police, told NDTV that an alert had been issued in the area due to the Bharat Bandh. He also informed that the police, through drone cameras, had identified a few individuals who were creating trouble.
Furthermore, security has been increased in the area with a large police contingent and magistrates being deployed at various locations in the town. "I have instructed the police station to file FIRs against the identified troublemakers and send those who attempted to set the bus on fire to jail," the SP told NDTV.
Meanwhile, in Patna, police lathi-charged protestors during the Bharat Bandh, who are believed to be members of the Bhim Army. The incident occurred at Dak Bungalow Chowk in Patna, where a large number of protestors had gathered, holding posters and flags to voice their opposition.
In a bid to disperse the sizeable crowd of demonstrators, the police resorted to lathi charge and the use of water cannons.
In Purnea, the protests were bolstered by the support of Independent MP Rajesh Ranjan, also known as Pappu Yadav. He called for the inclusion of quota in the 9th Schedule of the Indian Constitution, which would offer additional protection to these provisions.
The protests were also reported from Darbhanga, Hajipur, Jehanabad, Nawada, and other districts across Bihar. The one-day Bharat Bandh was organised by the Aarakshan Bachao Sangharsh Samiti in response to the recent Supreme Court ruling on quota within quota.
The ruling has sparked controversy by suggesting that state governments can further classify Scheduled Castes (SC) and Scheduled Tribes (ST) communities and create separate quotas for those considered more backwards within these categories. This decision has triggered widespread protests, as many fear it could fragment the rights and protection afforded to these marginalised groups.
The Bharat Bandh, aimed at protecting the rights of SCs and STs, received support from the INDIA bloc’s alliance partners, including the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD), Vikassheel Insaan Party (VIP) and various social organisations like the Bhim Army.